


Different Paths

by geekyjez



Series: Isii Lavellan (Non-Canon AUs) [10]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-20
Updated: 2015-05-20
Packaged: 2018-03-31 11:45:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3976846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekyjez/pseuds/geekyjez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isii was never chosen to leave for the Conclave. Two years after the the blast that killed her friend and created the Breach, the First of Clan Lavellan finds herself in trouble, relying on the aid of a mysterious blue-eyed stranger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different Paths

**Author's Note:**

> In the timeline where Katwynne Travelyan becomes the Inquisitor, Isii Lavellan stays behind with her clan. Written to answer a question from tumblr - _If Katwynne is the Inquisitor, do Solas and Isii ever meet?_

“Look what I found, boys.” Isii grunted as she hit the ground, the human finally releasing his hold on her hair as he tossed her forward. She quickly took stock of the group. Seven men on foot, dressed in finery, well-armed with bows. Probably nobles hunting for sport. The one who’d found her still held her staff and had already taken the dagger from her hip.

Deshanna was going to kill her, assuming the shems didn’t do it first.

“I can only assume she was poaching.” The blond man who spoke looked her over, his lips twisted in disgust. Isii tried to steady her breaths, furtively pulling from the Fade. “Where are the others?”

“She was alone.”

“No. There are always others. These vermin travel in groups.” The man stepped closer to her and she pushed herself to her feet. “I take it you little parasites have settled somewhere close by. You’re going to show me where.”

Isii said nothing, glaring up at him. The man arched his brow, pulling his dagger from its sheath. “Do you know what we do to elves we find poaching on our lands? If you want to keep those pretty little ears of yours, then you’ll tell me where your camp is.”

“Palas i’assan, shem.” She punctuated her words by spitting into his face. Admittedly it was not the wisest decision, but it felt damned satisfying. She wasn’t surprised when he backhanded her across the cheek, her scraped and bruising skin screaming at the impact. “That was a warning,” he seethed. “You do not get another one.”

_And you won’t get one at all._

Isii took in a quick breath, lifting her hands and casting a sharp burst of lightning. The man in front of her took the brunt of the hit, knocked off of his feet as it chained through the remaining men. She immediately turned on her heel and ran, forsaking her staff and dagger. She had to move quickly. Stretching one blast among that many targets would only leave them stunned at best. It would only give her a few seconds head start.

Isii took off into the forest, weaving a dizzying path among the trees. She heard their pursuit, angry shouts as they recovered and tore after her. She struggled to lose them. Despite her efforts, they matched her step for step, catching her each time she turned, narrowly dodging as arrows flew past her. _Shit. Shit. Shit._ She couldn’t cast while running and the idea of turning even for a second to take aim seemed ludicrous. _Ghilan’nain hasten my steps. Guide me to safety._ Her lungs were burning, breaths labored. She’d only pulled ahead of them by a few extra feet once she hit the bottom edge of a ridge, turning quickly in the hopes of losing them around the bend.

She didn’t expect to find someone in her way.

She had no chance to stop, crashing into the stranger, tumbling to the ground with him. The elven man grunted as his back hit the dirt, blue eyes wide and staring up at her, startled. “Fenedhis,” she gasped, scrambling to crawl off of him and back to her feet as she heard one of the humans shout.

“Run,” she barked at him. She didn’t want this stranger to be caught in the line of fire. The man didn’t heed her advice, his gaze instead shifting to her pursuers as he lifted himself to his feet. Isii whirled around in time to see three arrows trained on her seconds before they were released into the air. She staggered backward on reflex, barely able to comprehend the feeling of an arm tightening around her waist from behind before she was suddenly jerked back, her feet flying out from under her as the world shifted in a haze of blue light. The stop was sudden and she struggled to suck in a breath, her momentum halted by the stranger’s body as her back pressed against his chest.

Their brief flight had angled them out of the way of the arrows but the humans were still well-within sight. The stranger released her, shifting his staff in his hands. “Seven against one?” he called out to them. “Seems hardly fair.”

“Another one of ‘em, Ser!”

“Shut up you idiot. His face isn’t marked,” he blond man hissed, glaring. “This does not concern you, rabbit. Go now and we’ll forget about your interference.”

The man smiled, his brow lifting. “How very generous of you. All the same, I think I will decline the offer.” He shot a quick glance over to Isii before training his eyes on the men, angling his staff. “I recommend you leave.”

“I do not take orders from the likes of you.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Isii snapped, flicking her fingertips, allowing small trails of lightning to crackle against her skin. “Or do you really want to see how well your arrows hold up against two mages?” She struggled not to sound winded as she shouted her threat, her heart still pounding in her ears. Admittedly it was a bluff. She knew nothing about the man’s capabilities, but he seemed willing enough to make his own threats on her account.

The humans eyed them warily before the blond man sneered, lowering his bow. “This isn’t over, you little knife eared whore.” Isii bore her teeth in a snarl as the man turned on his heel, stalking back down the path, his men trailing after him.

She waited until they were out of sight before letting herself sink to the ground, panting heavily. She glanced up at the stranger, her brow lifting. “Fade stepping backwards? You’re lucky you didn’t crack our heads into a tree.”

“It was a calculated risk.”

“Thank you,” she said between gasps. “Pretty sure you just saved my life.”

“Not as if I had much choice in the matter,” he said flatly. He crouched down next to her, frowning. “You are injured.”

“A bit banged up,” she said, forcing a slow, deep breath. “Mostly just cuts and bruises.”

He lifted his hand. “May I?” Her face brightened for a moment before she nodded. She flinched as his fingers met her cheek, the sting quickly lessening under the touch of his magic.

“Not only a mage but a healer,” she murmured, studying his face. “My lucky day.” He gave a short, dismissive hum in response, focused on his work. She took a moment to view his appearance in more detail, now that she wasn’t running for her life. He was admittedly attractive, despite his unmarked face. His eyes, cool and blue and striking, met hers for a moment. She cast her gaze aside.

“Praise Ghilan’nain for putting you in my path,” she said. “I don’t know how I would have gotten away otherwise.”

“And what exactly did you do to earn such a fevered pursuit? Thieving, perhaps?”

She gave him a wry smile, her brow arching as her eyes met his once more. “If you’re going to stick to a Dalish stereotype, you could at least have gone with one of the more creative ones like baby killing or dancing naked in the moonlight.”

“Too early in the day for that,” he muttered distractedly and she chuckled.

“I was hunting. The human that found me had a blade to my throat before I even knew he was there.”

“Not a very observant hunter then, are you?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Gavas em.”

The man scoffed. “Serannas, y ar banalasan.”

She frowned, confused. “Dirthas Elvhen? But you’re…”

“I am what?” he asked, his tone calm yet challenging.

“Not Dalish,” she finished. “How do you know our tongue?”

“Do the Dalish now claim sole ownership of it?” he asked smugly. “A quaint notion, given there is so little of it you comprehend – as is the case with most things concerning the Elvhen.”

“This coming from some alienage dweller?” she asked pointedly. “What? You think studying the language makes you some sort of expert?”

“No. I think knowledge and experience make me an expert. And I never said I was from an alienage.”

“Not Dalish and not from an alienage. A drifter, then?”

“I make my home wherever I find myself in need of being.”

“Sounds familiar.”

He didn’t seem pleased by the comparison. “At least I am not dragging an aravel through the woods with me, no doubt squatting on some human’s property and claiming it as my own.”

She pursed her lips tightly, her brow furrowed. “Are you this much of an ass normally, or are you trying to impress me?”

His lips parted to respond but he hesitated, whatever sharpness his tongue possessed softening as his gaze lowered. “My apologies. It has been some time since I have had to be in the company of others. Neither one of us benefits from combativeness.” He focused again on the healing, brushing is palm over her shoulder. “I was under the impression that it was not common for the Dalish to go anywhere without accompaniment of some sort.”

“I prefer to hunt alone. As much as my Keeper hates it, I persist. There’s nothing quite like the aura of the woods when you’re by yourself…”

“Nor is there anything quite like being chased down and killed by some shemlen because you decided not to have an escort,” he added dryly.

She frowned. “Unless you’ve got someone hiding in the bushes over there, you’re not exactly travelling with an entourage yourself.”

“Ah, yet I see no one pursuing me. Curious.”

“You sound like my Keeper.”

“I highly doubt that,” he grumbled.

“She’s terrified to let me go anywhere on my own, especially after the Conclave.”

He paused, a puzzled look crossing his features. “Meaning?”

She hesitated, suddenly questioning why she was telling this flat ear anything about her clan. “Nevermind,” she said, lowering her gaze. “I’ve already said too much.”

“It is two years past. What does it hurt to say more?”

She studied him, uncertain before nodding. “My Keeper sent one of our own to the Conclave. We’d already been displaced once by the conflict between the mages and the Templars. We wanted to keep a close eye on the negotiations. It was between myself and...” She paused, her voice softening. “I stayed behind. My friend went instead. Suffice it to say, they did not come back.”

“My condolences. I witnessed the aftermath of the blast first-hand. It was not an easy sight to behold. Be thankful that you were not there.”

“It was for the best,” she said. “Mythal enaste. I believe it was by her hand that I was chosen to stay. Had I not, I wouldn’t have been here to protect my clan.”

“I’m certain that is precisely the sort of thing she concerns herself with,” he mumbled dismissively.

Isii frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shook his head. “Nothing of importance.” He said nothing more, quietly brushing his thumb over a cut on her brow.  

“There’s not a village or city here for miles,” she began. “What brings you this deep into the woods?”

“I am searching for something,” he said cautiously. “There is a task I must complete and I have yet to procure the means… something I should return my focus to now.” He withdrew his touch, lowering his hands as he rose once more to his feet. “I trust you will not get yourself killed between here and your camp?”

She pursed her lips, taking his hand as he offered it to her, helping her up. “I will do my best,” she said sarcastically. “Thank you again. Ane lanun’ven’ur’alas.”

“I suppose you could say that.” He bowed his head politely. “Dareth shiral.”

“Tuelanan ama na.” His brow arched, his expression displeased and skeptical but he made no comment on her choice of well-wishes. “Perhaps our paths will cross again one day. Hopefully next time I won’t barrel into you like that.”

“One can only hope.” He gave a short nod before turning down the path, continuing south along the base of the ridge. She took a moment to reorient herself, certain that if she headed north for long enough she’d be able to follow the river back to camp. She needed to hurry. The sooner they moved camp, the better. Knowing the shemlen, they would soon be scouring the area looking for their settlement. It would be one more consequence to her actions that Deshanna would add to the list in her oncoming lecture.

Still, she could be thankful that she would live to hear it.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
> Palas i’assan, shem – Go fuck an arrow, human.  
> Gavas em – Bite me.  
> Serannas, y ar banalasan. – Thank you, but I refuse.  
> Dirthas Elvhen? – You speak Elvish?  
> Mythal enaste – Mythal’s blessing.  
> Ane lanun’ven’ur’alas – You are a blessing sent by the gods.  
> Dareth shiral - Go safely on your journey.  
> Tuelanan ama na – Creators protect you.
> 
> Credit to fenxshiral and Project Elvhen for Elvish conlang.


End file.
